Biology

Arcanine is a quadruped, canine Pokémon with an orange pelt marked by jagged black stripes. It has diamond-shaped ears with beige insides, black eyes, a round, black nose, and two pointed teeth protruding from its upper jaw. Its head, muzzle, and chest are covered in shaggy, beige fur, except for two oval sections around each eye and ear. Long tufts of fur grow behind its knees and around its ankles. Its underside is black, and it has a billowing, beige tail that is bent in the middle. Each paw has three toes and a round, pink pad.

Arcanine is a fiercely brave and loyal Pokémon. It is capable of running 6,200 miles (10,000 kilometers) in 24 hours with a speed and grace reminiscent of flight. Additionally, the move Extreme Speed was its signature move in the past. Arcanine has long been admired for its beauty and speed, and anyone who hears its bark will grovel before it. The source of its power is a flame blazing wildly inside its body. In the anime, it was shown that it stashes food in its mane and carries it to its nest for its young. Arcanine lives on prairies, and Pokémon Snap has also shown it living in active volcanoes.

Three Arcanine appeared in The Stolen Stones, one under the ownership of Keegan and two belonging to his sister Ramona. The Fire-type Pokémon were used to deliver some Fire Stones to be used as prizes for a local Fire Pokémon tournament. The two Trainers used their Arcanine to save Ash, Misty, and Brock from falling off a cliff.

Marley owns an Arcanine, as seen in Keeping In Top Forme!. Marley first used Arcanine when she first attacked by Team Rocket to send them blasting off, and later used Arcanine to escape when she was confronted by them again.

In Rock, Paper...Scizor, Blue captures a wild Arcanine that he adds to his Gym team and trains to the point of being able to defeat any challenger without its Trainer present.

Crystal has an Arcanine, nicknamed Archy, which first appeared in Slugging It Out with Slugma and which she uses for transportation at times. He is able to hit targets fast and hard using Extreme Speed. As explained in a flashback in Lively Larvitar, Arcanine was a wild Pokémon from Mt. Mortar whose left eye was injured five years before. The cause is revealed to be a Larvitar prankster, which Crystal later manages to capture, regaining the confidence that was ruined by her failed capture of Suicune.

Origin

Arcanine is based on the Ryukyuan シーサー shisa, or 狛犬 komainu, mythical creatures inspired by lions, tigers, and dogs. Statues of them in pairs are used as guardians that invite good spirits and repel evil ones. It could also be based on the Haetae, a mythical fire-eating dog with similarities to lions and tigers.